


Eclipse

by Felosia



Category: Exalted (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:01:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23279809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felosia/pseuds/Felosia
Summary: A trans lesbian romance/adventure story about two Celestial Exalted being awkward, working through emotional and intimacy issues, and falling in love and maybe forming an empire along the way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm somewhat new to Exalted as well as sharing my writing, but I hope anyone who's interested enjoys reading as much as I've been enjoying writing. Thank you!

Molten Mane that Flows like the River through the Vale

The chill night air settled across the near northern forest of Morning's Hope - a chill that rested against doors and windows and watched hungrily for the hearth to flicker. It was a cold that River had been familiar with for decades now: she had first received Luna's breath here, and her demesne and regular hunting grounds rested in a lush valley hidden under its boughs. Her thick brass fur moved like waves along her sides as she bounded through the cluttered forest floor like a flood running its way through the landscape. A winding pattern of silver floral tattoos decorated the beast, from its forehead to its flanks.

River had no fear as she coursed through her woods, a child of the forest as much as any wild wolf, her essence pounding through her like adrenaline in a celebration of her vibrant solitude. Much as she wished she could run night into day into night, sink her teeth into elk or deer, and sleep in her lush valley, she was expected. Just as her shahan-ya had chided her: she was painfully empathetic to the plights of mortals. 

The grove of her petitioners opened in front of her suddenly, a small shrine to her established on a particularly large oak stump. The centerpiece was a small carved figure of a wolf lacquered with a reddish brown finish, paired with a bundle of incense sticks smelling of witch hazel. Various pages of poorly hand written prayers on cloth, or more rarely vellum, were pinned around the stump. 

As she darted into the clearing like a spirit appearing from the dark, her praying followers murmured amongst themselves with reverence, and she groaned inwardly. _I never wanted to be a goddess, by Luna._ They were a ragged mix of men, women, and children, and River, ever-bored and ever-curious, had stolen their prayers out of the air almost a year ago. Their pleas to the local gods of the forest for freedom raised her interest, and thus when they first met her at their altar they found their prayers answered.

The eldest amongst them, a middle aged mother with a carefully swaddled child held against her, unsteadily walked forward and bowed. “The Beast of the Hope!” she nervously exulted. _A rather unnecessary acknowledgment_. The brass wolf, large as a horse with two jet-black horns curving from its head, bowed regally in response, and spoke carefully in return.

The eldest amongst them, a middle aged mother with a carefully swaddled child held against her, unsteadily walked forward and bowed. “The Beast of the Hope!” she nervously exulted. _A rather unnecessary acknowledgment_. The brass wolf, large as a horse with two jet-black horns curving from its head, bowed regally in response. As though dipped underwater, the wolf’s form shimmered - in its place stood a seven foot tall woman wearing a black halter top and hakama. Her skin was covered in brass fur, same as the wolf that had stood in her place, and the head of a wolf with curling horns graced the top of her body in place of a woman’s head. While her arms looked human, other than the fur and long black nails evocative of claws, her legs were digitigrade, ending in paws.

“My children.” As soon as she spoke, an instant otherworldly silence fell across the makeshift assembly. “Six full moons have passed since first we met, and all of you have well followed my commands. Your Goddess’ eyes are everywhere, and I have seen you, with my blessing, turn a disparate band of slaves into a group of wolves. As was promised in the deepest of winter, your Midsummer’s festival would be one of joyous freedom. There is no more need be said. ‘Ere the morn, I will be watching over you, and by night your freedom you will have. Go.”

The gathered attendants, clearly taken aback somewhat at her shortness, nevertheless bowed and began to leave the clearing, one by one, in a variety of directions - the better to prevent tracking. Her experiences wearing a slaver’s face for a fortnight convinced her of their rampant cruelty and their absolute cowardice, and River, in matters of life and death, was never a woman to take chances.

 _If anything,_ _I feel guilty for allowing this under my nose_. Minutes after the last slave had left and her silent peace was restored, the woman turned back into wolf and leapt down from her altar, making a beeline for a burrow she had dug around the roots of one of the trees circling the grove, eager to sleep and, if she had to admit it, anxious about the next day as well. Nevertheless, within moments of her closing her eyes in her warm makeshift den, sleep carried her away.

Her supernatural sense of time wasn’t necessary to wake her up the next morning as the Unconquered Sun poured liquid gold into her den. _An auspicious start, considering the regular mists of the north_. River climbed out of her makeshift bedding, a divine wolf stretching in the gentle heat of the morning light. Taking a few seconds to shake off her morning grogginess, the wolf seemed to stand still as a statue for an instant before bolting through the forest.

 _Time to see if I lead these poor people to their death._ She tried to shake off her negativity, but anxiety had always clung to River like an unwanted suitor - persistent, irritating, and absolutely irrational. She tried to focus on anything other than what she was about to partake in - the feeling of the morning dew sticking onto her fur, her paws pounding against the loamy soil, the shake and wave of the branches above her, and before she knew it the smell of humanity hit her in the nose like a punch.

 _Here goes nothing._ In a fluid motion, the wolf stepped from the forest threshold and out walked a man. Haggard, poorly-shaven, with thinning hair and an eyepatch, the slaver was dressed in cheap linens with well-made boots and gloves and a hatchet strapped to his waist. 

Due to her long solitude, River never acclimated to the petty cruelties humanity could visit upon itself, and it took every fiber of her self-control to prevent herself from demolishing the settlement in front of her. 

A small town of hundreds built in a manmade clearing, dozens of buildings dotted the muddy grounds. The largest, she had learned, was the slave quarters - a longhouse-style dwelling packed with around 250 unfortunate souls at night, and nearly-empty during the day. They were kept in line by 50-odd slavers, a misbegotten crew of outlaws, Realm deserters, and folk desperate enough for a safe living to commit evil for it. 

The rest of the buildings were primarily occupied by merchants who had smelt the opportunity on the breeze and settled in the squalid town, and even free lumberers who tried to make their living on their own or in small crews. Still, she knew from her last experience here that the slavers were the executive law and order of what the people called Stump, and their operation was the lifeblood of the town.

She began the short walk into town, feeling more disgusted with every step. A steady drip of slaves moved out of their barracks with a group of slavers watching them lazily, the morning heat sapping their already weak excitement. _Most likely half hungover._ She pushed her way through the town inn’s heavyset doors, trying to steel herself for what she was about to do.

“Markin? Hells, that you?” A deep gruff voice accosted her the moment she crossed the threshold. A bear of a man, easily 7 feet tall with a full shaggy beard looked back towards the new entry. “S’been months. We thought you got fuckin’ mauled by the far folk or a bear or some shite.” He stood up and lazily walked over towards her. River laughed at him uncomfortably - _fuck me fuck me I’m so shit at acting_ \- and smirked back as confidently as she could muster.

“What, can’t take a break from work for a few months, Gyoji?” She forced out speech in her body’s voice, utterly irritated as usual to be forced to do so. Nevertheless, she sighed and continued. “My brother needed help with a job, an’ offered me a godsdamned fortune. Hard to pass up. Sorry for leavin’ without saying anythin’.” The man looked at her with a smile that hardly hid the dripping suspicion behind it.

“Brother, huh? And what’d you do with the haul?” 

River’s body - Markin - shrugged. “He fuckin’ lied. The coin was hardly enough to make it worth it to him, much less both of us. Fuckin’ wash.” _Better get this moving before he keeps asking fucking questions._ “I just finished comin’ back and I’m tired as shit, so lemme get dead drunk and tell y’more about it tonight.” She gave a knowing look to him, and he merely grimaced in response.

“Know who the fuckin’ boss is, Markin. You always were a smart shite. Maybe if you do your work for a few weeks you’ll get back on my good side.”

“Understood, _sir._ ” She nearly snarled out the part that was supposed to be respectful, but controlled herself well enough that Boss Gyoji only rolled his eyes and focused back on his drink and henchmen around him, leaving River unmolested to move as Markin to the bar and seat herself. She quietly asked the bartender for beer and looked back around the room. Like most of the buildings in Stump, it was bereft of any furnishings - a bear’s head mounted on the wall, but otherwise the sparsest tables and chairs imaginable decorated the place.

She didn’t see the one person she was looking for. Hesitantly, she spoke again. “Boss… that girl, whatserna-,”

“Carna.” He grunted. “Women’ll ruin you, Markin. Whores especially.” _He chuckles at his own jokes, Luna’s name._ “She sleeps in the morning so she’s ready to _entertain_ at night. I’m sure you’ve been missin’ her based on how much you watched her when you were here last.” River struggled not to redden in the slaver’s body, merely snorting in anger and turning back to her drink. 

She quietly nursed the cheap ale for longer than she cared to, and each passing moment she felt the anxiety in her gut build, a small tight ball torturing her. _Worst case scenario, I tear his and every other slaver’s throat out and leave. And run from a Wyld Hunt until I’m fucking dead._ Her gloomy thoughts were interrupted by the door opening again, and a nerve-wracking cheer coming from the ten or so other men in the bar. She turned, and despite her best efforts felt the colour draining from her face.

A young woman, clothed in an embarrassingly revealing indigo dress cut too low at the top and too high at the bottom and clinging too tightly all throughout, gingerly stepped into the room. _Carna. Carna._ Playing with the name in her head, River felt her essence stirring unbidden and her soul felt as though it was being stretched like rubber. The girl was clearly chagrined to find all the attention on her - and her gaze lingered enigmatically on River, to the point where the Lunar wondered if she could see through her skin into her true self.

 _She’s just a peasant girl, by Luna. Calm your heart - remember your vow._ Her voluminous curly brown hair fell barely below her shoulders, with eyes dark as the bark on the trees in the forest to match. She had pink skin, pale but flushed with warmth, typical of those who lived north of the Imperial City, and River felt immensely jealous of her immaculate natural blush. She was tall for a girl - as tall as most of the men in the room, and under the dress her body just hinted at femininity. A fertility goddess this was not, yet River found herself inexorably drawn to her presence. The moment was ended by Gyoji’s harsh voice cutting through her reverie.

“There you are! - c’mere, c’mere. We’ll all treat you as a proper lady, just like you say you want.” River narrowed her eyes in disgust, and the girl’s demeanour seemed to sag. 

“Of course, master - “ _Oh gods her voice. Sing-songy. Like honey to the ears. How did I forget. How did I leave her here before_. Carna bowed, and dutifully sat in Gyoji’s lap, and - _stop touching her like that or I will cut your disgusting hand from your godsforsaken body_. River gathered all her willpower, turned back to her drink, and ignored what she told herself were imagined feelings of eyes burning into her back, from the girl and the rest of the gang. More than her dignity - and short-term romance prospects - rested on the events of the next hour. 

As soon as River found herself calming down, the door was slammed open, and a panting slaver stomped in angrily, bloody axe in hand. “Fuckin slave revolt!” he spat out. “They already got the dozen or so we sent out today. _Vermin._ ” The Lunar calmed herself as she watched Gyoji’s reaction.

His face curled into a sneer, and he tightened his grip around Carna, _I will kill you,_ resting his other hand on a proper Lookshy blade at his hip. “Gather up the men and reinforce the inn - they can fight their way in with hatchets if they want t’ meet their fathers that badly. Take the rest of the crones and mothers from the slave quarters and lock ‘em in the cellar here.” River’s essence flared for a moment at his wanton cowardice and evil, but she held herself back, instead adopting an attitude in her temporary face of bare interest. Gyoji, sensing her attitude, wheeled towards her.

“Markin, you whoreson,” he cursed - _maybe too disinterested_ \- “you think they won’t kill you too? Get up.” She desperately resisted rolling her eyes and disobeying, but Carna’s eyes on her made her feel like she was being inspected by an Immaculate Monk. 

“Aye… sir.” She stood up and lazily moved to a window at the front, carefully placing the lacquered wolf from the altar on the sill. She found herself trying as hard as possible to avoid looking at the girl, and so intensely stared out the window while the town was in a flurry around her. _According to plan so far_. The remaining slavers herded a pitiful band of three dozen older women, children, and mothers into the building and down a set of stairs in the corner of the room. Her worshippers’ leader - the mother - was among them, and marched defiantly with the others, though River sensed despondence in her demeanour. _I wish I could tell you everything is going to be alright._

"Not you, Carna. I want you to watch.” A murmured yes, master in response. _Vile fucker. When you’re dead I’ll track your soul down in the underworld and kill it again._ The door to the inn was barricaded and nailed down, and finally Gyoji seemed satisfied, sitting back in his chair and leaning on his blade until the tip cut into the rough wooden floor. 

It took scant little time for the makeshift army of slaves to arrive, most bearing the hatchets of their forced trade, the ringleaders - _my supplicants_ \- carrying the weapons of their presumably murdered captors. The hundred or so men and women rounded the inn with deadly calm, clearly unnerving a few of the slavers.

Gyoji lazily rose his muscular bulk from his chair, tightened his grip around Carna _don’t you fucking dare touch her like that_ and carried her to the window. “See this bitch?” He shouted out, pushing her against it and ignoring her cry of pain, “she and the rest of your leftovers are fuckin’ dead if you try to force yer way in. An’ if hostages don’t worry you,” now he hefted his blade from the floor, “a Seventh Legion veteran ought to.” River rolled her eyes.

The slaves, she saw, were demoralized and confused in the face of the first threat, if not the second. _How many of these people even know of Lookshy, asshole?_ Seemingly satisfied with himself, Gyoji carried his whore and sword back to the center of the room.

 _Ok, fuck it._ In one smooth motion, River took her left hand and punched the window out, shattering the glass effortlessly. With her right, she threw the lacquered wolf such that it perfectly landed in the dirt at the feet of the surrounding slaves. 

“What the fuck was that, Ma -” 

“The Beast of Hope is watching!” _Keep it simple, right? That was kind of awkward._ With a turn, she drew the axe at her hip and swung it full-force directly into a nearby slaver’s chest, leaving it half-buried in his solar plexus. The slavers looked on, shocked at the surprise violence. They were jolted back to reality by the sound of slaves banging on the barricaded front door, which menacingly reverberated through the building as the other bandits turned their weapons on Markin. Gyoji spit on the floor.

“You _cocksucking_ two-timing _whoreson_. I shoulda known it. You’ve been acting fucked for moons. One of the other gangs got you in their pocket you -” 

“No. Let her go,” River said shortly, motioning at Carna with her chin, “and you and your gang can walk free.” With a snarl, the hulking man tossed the woman to his feet _please don't scream I'll save you_ and pressed a boot into her, taking a stance with his blade. 

“Fuck, you.” _Oh, no_. “Even _if_ that mob let me walk, you think I’m gonna take a life doing peasant’s work?” His boot dug deeper, drawing more cries from his toy _. Stop, please_ “ _Fuck_ that. I’ve seen how you look at this stupid whore. If I can take _one_ thing from you before I’m gone -” River knew he continued speaking, but time began to slow down for her unbearably. 

Her claws were out; her caste mark burned into existence, a perfectly round shining silver disk in front of her forehead. A silver glow suffused her, gentle and bright as Luna’s light itself. Essence coursed through her body as she pushed herself off the floor forward - _not fast enough_ _why all this for a girl I hardly fucking know_ \- the sword coming down like the executioner’s blade - Carna raising her hand to shield herself, mouth forming a scream - _fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck_

A brilliantly gold disc like the sun itself appeared on her forehead, a sister to River’s. Her outstretched hand shone similarly, and River felt the essence coursing through her like a raging torrent released from a dam. The girl looked as though she was burning in a bonfire made of sun stuff: aureate fire enveloped her body, forming a corona around her. The Lookshy blade plunged a hairsbreadth from her skin, but in an instant - River hardly was able to watch it - Carna had kicked Gyoji’s legs out from under him and was straddling him, fists of metal raining down on his head with clumsy strikes borne of adrenaline - her fear and desperation obvious.

Gyoji’s cries of pain ended in seconds, but the entire room watched transfixed as the girl covered herself in his blood, continuing to pulp his body for what felt like an eternity. _Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck._ River felt her heart seize and beat erratically, as though she was the one who had been stabbed, beaten, crushed, murdered. _Luna help me_. Her legs weakened under her for a second. _You_ must _be fucking kidding me._ In front of the gathered crowd, she mustered the willpower to leave Markin’s face - _hopefully for the last time_ \- and in his place was the brass-furred wolf masquerading as a goddess. 

_Come on, come on._ The poor girl’s strikes grew slower and sloppier as she tired, and the wolf nuzzled her extraordinarily gently. Carna reacted with a start, staring at the wolf with growing recognition before climbing onto her with ragged breaths wracking her body, grabbing handfuls of fur - _can you not be gentler!_ \- before River, satisfied with her grip and position, snarled at the slavers assembled. _Enjoy your fate._

The wolf charged, horns first, through the barricaded door and broke it as effortlessly as a bamboo screen, the assembled crowd watching in a mixture of awe and fear as their Beast of Hope effortlessly leapt clear of the group. Shouted thanks met her tail as she turned and fled into the woods, her charge, her bond, her soulmate grasping her fur for dear life.

_Dear Luna - why?_


	2. Chapter 2

Carna

She wasn't entirely sure if she had ever passed out, or if she had just retreated somewhere inside herself. The sensation of the wind buffeting her and low-stretching twigs and boughs snapping against her rosy skin was certainly real, but as Carna rode out her adrenaline high she was sure she was dreaming. _A giant wolf. Gyoji drugged me again?_

She felt her grip loosening, and shook herself when she realised she was holding two big handfuls of wolf fur in her white-knuckled fists. Her makeshift mount slowed, clearly sensing her waking confusion. 

"Not much further. Please, trust me. Don't let go." Something about her voice, gentle yet powerful like lapping waves, soothed Carna, and she again tightened her grip. _This is like the stories my father used to tell me. A runaway princess is rescued by a great god in the form of a noble animal._

A soft euphoria enveloped her as such drew herself closer to the beast's warm skin, as though she were embracing a lover she hadn't seen in years. She almost imagined the wolf sigh contentedly, then stiffen. 

The forest blurred past them at speeds Carna figured impossible, but the wolf seemed to know always where she was going. Before long she felt the ground under them shift, the formerly unpredictably hilly terrain turning into a gradual decline, the rough forest floor turning into soft grass. 

_Oh, gods. Am I dead? At least Heaven seems nice._ The view that opened up before the young woman seemed divine: perfectly lush greenery littered the cozy valley while a bubbling brook wound down the valley wall into a small pond. It felt as though the sun itself carefully shone into this tranquil valley, neither too brightly nor too dimly. 

Close to the pond was what Carna could only assume was the wolf's home. Beautifully decorated with patches and rows of an abundance of flowers, the house existed in the center of a magnificent patterned garden. The house itself looked comfortable for its single inhabitant, presumably one or two rooms inside based on the exterior. A chimney sprouted from the roof, though no smoke was visible. The front door was imposing, and Carna got the sense she wouldn't be able to push it open herself - in its face was carved a pack of wolves dancing in the snow. From her direction, she could tell that one side of the building was almost all glass, and strained to look inside.

Her excited rubbernecking was interrupted by the wolf slowing as she approached the dwelling, and finally bowing herself forward as if inviting her to dismount. "Thanks!" She said with genuine warmth as she stood on her own two feet - and immediately collapsed, her legs like jelly. _Of course I'd embarrass myself in front of a goddess. Great._ Before her eyes, the wolf's form became wavy and vague, as though under rough waters. Within seconds, a woman, instead, stood in front of her, looking at her bond on the ground amusedly and offering her a pair of hands.

Carna gratefully rose with her assistance _. Oh. A ridiculously beautiful goddess._ The woman in front of her stood just slightly taller than Carna herself, already tall for a woman. Hair like threads of shimmering fire cascaded around her form, to just slightly below her waist, attractively contrasting with her almond brown skin. She was marked across her arms, torso, and legs with faintly shimmering, intricate masses of flowers, as though a resplendent garden had been tattooed into her.

Her emerald green eyes were set above high cheekbones, with a noble nose pierced with a crystal septum ring and a full lower lip lying below. The woman blinked at Carna, as though - _no, definitely_ \- to show off her exquisite eyelashes and strong brows.

She was dressed in a pair of black leather pants with matching boots up to just below her knees, and a halter top. _Also black._ Most impressively, she had a beautifully carved bow stowed across her back, but when Carna strained to look at it more closely her savior spoke.

"Welcome, Child of the Sun, to my, um… sanctum." She blinked a few times, seemingly dismayed by her own unwanted pause. "I am Molten Mane Flowing like the River through the Vale - although usually my associates call me River." _Do all gods have such wordy names?_ She looked at Carna expectantly. 

"Hello?" She offered hesitantly. "I'm Carna, short for Carnation." The divine woman in front of her deflated as Carna patted down her bloodied dress awkwardly and brushed rogue hair out of her eyes. 

"You mean you know nothing?" She looked more than a little put off. 

"Well," Carna started, the word dragging in her mouth, "I thought I was about to die, then a voice like my dad's was booming inside me, telling me he was granting me the power to usurp my masters." The voice still resonated inside her head. _Inside my soul._ "Then I just.. instinctually moved to stop him. And.. kind of lost control." 

The goddess bemusedly pointed a finger, nail painted black, at the still-glimmering golden disc hovering in front of Carna's forehead. "Don't forget about that. Your caste mark. Not to mention your anima banner," she said, motioning at the glimmering sunlight that surrounded her. Carna just looked at her cluelessly - _my best use of puppy-eyes_ \- leading to her savior sighing softly. "I see we're going to have to talk. My shahan-ya mentioned the exaltation being different for the Lawgivers, but I didn't really believe it. It's not your fault," she added quickly.

Meekly, Carna responded, “Can I take a bath first?” She looked down at herself nervously. “I don’t feel comfortable being in the presence of a, ah - divine being? looking like this.” Her tone rose as her statement became a question.

River looked at her blankly for a half second before sputtering out laughter. “Divine?” _If I sound stupid, just say it._ Seeing the injured look on Carna’s face, she immediately backtracked, the guilt obvious on her face. “Like I said, we need to talk - a lot.” She turned to walk into her home, but over her shoulder added: “There’s no bathtub. I use the pond - I hope you can too. Sorry if that’s not up to your standards...” _Oh, please. She sounds like a scolded child!_

Warily - _shades drawn, door shut solidly, I’m sure she’s doing something, she’ll respect my privacy right?_ \- Carna began undressing, doing her best to ignore the morbidity of peeling a blood-covered dress off. _Right. First time killing someone._ Despite it looking rather unrecoverable, she carefully carried it with her after stripping out of her underwear, deciding she’d give it her best shot.

Giving one last suspicious look towards the cabin, Carna gingerly dipped a toe into the pond. To her delight, it wasn’t overly cold, and she quickly climbed in fully, leaving her dress floating on the surface while she repeatedly dunked her head underwater. _Maybe this isn’t too_ _-_

“Oh, good, the blood’s out of your hair.” Carna whirled around, still blind with water in her eyes. 

“ _Really_ ? Do wolf gods not know about privacy?” Her tone was much less harsh than her words. _I’ve felt oddly safe with her this entire time._ Thinking through her experiences of the day, she realised she had ruminated straight through the woman’s answer. _Oops._ “Um, sorry. I spaced out -” River huffed with gentle amusement, as though she was expecting this. She walked over to the edge of the pond and carefully fell, sitting up and lazily drawing her pointer finger through the glassy surface. _Everything she does makes her look so sexy oh gods. It's ridiculous._

“Actually, let’s start with that. You can keep bathing.” She preemptively responded to Carna’s unvoiced question, who immediately took the opportunity to slide down into the water with just her eyes and ears above the waterline. River did a poor job hiding a smile in response. “I - we - are not strictly divine, if you mean Heavenly and all that. We _were_ very much mortal.” She looked at Carna with a carefully thoughtful face. “I suppose the simplest way to put it would be that our souls are reincarnations of souls imbued by the Unconquered Sun, in your case, and Luna the Many-Faced, in my case. Gods you probably haven’t heard about mu-”

“Anathema!” Carna interjected excitedly, like an irregularly performing student answering a hard question. River sighed.

“In the view of the Realm and Immaculates, yes. Did you grow up with the philosophy?” Carna furrowed her brow. “No, wait. Let me hit you with two for one. Where _did_ you grow up?”

Carna shifted uncomfortably, rising out of the water such that the water sat at her abdomen - until she noticed wandering eyes focusing on her modest breasts, plunging back under to her shoulders. “Chanos, on the Blessed Isle. My parents both worked at the shipyard, but I was…” She hesitated. “Fairly insulated. They tutored me and kept me on the family estate most of the time. When I was to be wedded to a dragon-blooded warrior in a marriage for the sake of family status, I ran and stowed away on a ship going north.” 

“Wait.” Sitting down with her knees in front of her, River rested her chin on one of her hands. “That’s a lot. How did your parents manage to secure a girl like you marriage to one of the terrestrials?” _A girl like me? Wow - ok._

Carna continued crossly. “It’s a long story. The _point_ is, I was captured by one of Gyoji’s men on the other side quickly, and I think you can guess what happened from there. It’s been about 2 years since I left home.” River, clearly nervous over somehow upsetting Carna, continued her lecture.

“So, it sounds like you're not exactly a die-hard." A nod in response. "Good. Yes, we are 'anathema.' The monsters you were told bedtime about: corrupt creatures whose avarice and cruelty was matched only by their power - until destroyed by the Dragon-Blooded, of course, our terrestrial cousins." River spoke as though she had heard this and recited it hundreds of times. 

"The oldest Lunars were alive for our golden age, and speak about it still. The Solars and Lunars ruled Creation together, until betrayed. Each Solar, to the last, was murdered, and many of their lunar mates murdered as well. Then…" she hesitated. "The Solars vanished. They never reincarnated, or did so so rarely they might as well have not existed. Fresh Exalts, at least on the Blessed Isle, are almost always slain immediately by a Wyld Hunt. At the last Pact meeting I attended, there was talk of the return of the Solars. I just never thought..." She trailed off, looking at the woman in her pond more delicately. _Why is she staring at me why is she staring at me why is she staring at me_

"What's a Wyld Hunt?" _Anything to break River's reverie._

"Mmm. When the Realm becomes aware of a living Celestial Exalt, they hunt them. Usually a group of monks, Dragon-Blooded, and a battalion of soldiers that exists solely to kill you." She sighed, anxiously playing with her hair in a very mortal way that tickled Carna while her eyes grew hazy in recollection. "I was almost killed by one when I was new to my essence. Oh, right." She turned her gaze back onto Carna.

"Essence. You can feel it, right? It's like.." she was lost in thought, and silence reigned in the tranquil valley until Carnation splashed her way out of the pond feeling thoroughly refreshed. "It's like a new energy flowing through you. Raw power, driving you." _I guess so?_

Carna stood very still for a moment, focusing herself inwards. A torrent of… something ran within her before in a way where there was once nothing. An impossible to explain un-absence, an experience akin to a blind man suddenly gaining sight, or a baby realising it controls its limbs. She felt it weaving into her existence, from her small meditative motions to the rise and fall of her chest to her five senses.

Coming back to reality, she gazed forlornly at her very bloody dress. _Seems to be a lost cause._ River gazed at her body before looking away, expecting the protestation incoming. "Here. It's one of my shahan-ya's old dresses. Take good care of it, although it'll take good care of itself for the most part." She pulled a carefully folded object out of an embroidered leather bag she had come outside with.

_Oh gods I've never seen clothing this nice_. A beautiful blue and gold dress, backless, with a long elegant skirt, cut up the side to the lower thigh, that flowed like leaves in the wind. At the front, an exquisite embroidered pattern of lilac tree leaves worked its way across the bodice, and above the chest the material transitioned from the solid ocean blue into a black lace that went around the neck. Tight but comfortable sleeves ended in a pair of wedding gloves. The whole outfit was hemmed, trimmed, and embroidered with golden thread that shimmered as the precious metals itself.

"Are you serious?" Carna looked at River with wide eyes. River nodded, her eyes bright with a mixture of amusement, playfulness, and something Carna couldn't read. _Grief_ ? "Is a shahan-ya... a mate? Is your mate gone?" River froze, and forced out a laugh. _Why did I even say that._

After an awkward moment of silence, she responded, picking over her words like a noble looking at silks at the market. "A shahan-ya is an… informal mentorship. You'll learn more about how we Lunars have lived in time." She breathed in shakily. "Let's just say I was unusually close to mine." _Take the dress and shut up, point taken._

"So, how old are you?" _Hopefully this isn't an awkward question._ Carna began the laborious effort of dressing herself. Experience with noblewomen's clothes was her only saving grace.

"Only fifty-five years. Yourself?"

"Twenty-five." River giggled lightly, clearly amused.

"That's around when I exalted. Twenty-three, I think." Carna looked at her thoughtfully as she finished putting the dress on, finding it fit her better than any clothing she had owned before. 

"My shahan-ya was a vain woman, but she wove the nicest clothes in the world. And put a bit of sorcery in them for good measure." She looked a bit wistful. "She left this one behind, but maybe it was fate for you to have it." 

Carnation did a quick twirl in the dress, satisfied with the flare of the skirt. "I have another question."

"I'll answer, if I can have one in return." _Oh, that's dangerous._

"Fine. I'm sure you were a beautiful girl before exalting, but right now you look a bit…" _just say it_ "...divinely beautiful?" River laughed, her question unspoken but unneeded.

"Oh no, you really are too similar to my shahan-ya," she said jokingly. "This is a good opportunity to talk about something else, though. It seems like your experience exalting is entirely different from that of the Children of Luna. She visits us herself and teaches us - whether it's humility, knowledge, or strength. Anyways... lunar exaltation changes you. We Lunars are innate shapeshifters, if you didn't notice." At this, she raised her eyebrows jokingly at Carna and smiled. "The experience turns you into what you could consider your... true form. How your Self wants You to be."

Carnation looked rather put off. "You mean your... normal human form becomes exactly how you want it to be?" A nod. _What the fuck!_ "I'm starting to feel like I got a bit shafted by the Sun," she muttered morosely.

River's sad and understanding eyes looked through to her soul. The lunar was clearly struggling with what to say. "That answers my question. I was the same as you," she started carefully. "I never fit in my body. Or the expectations that existed for me." Carna looked sharply at her. 

"You.. were male too?" She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I've never met another. My parents _hated_ it. Hated _me_. And they thought marrying me off to a beautiful terrestrial girl would 'fix' me." Carnation sighed, trying to release the tension from her body. "I was… paying a witch, before I got taken to Stump. She knew some magic that made me like this, at least. More feminine. It's not the same though." River smiled knowingly throughout the talk.

"Carnation -" she stopped, cutting herself off before continuing. "I will help you. There are places where the line between primordial power and Creation is thin. I'm sure that there we can shape that energy to fulfill your dream." Her heart stopped. _What?_

"There's no way I could ask that of you." _You already saved me from slavery and saved my life._

"There's no way I could abandon a child of a Solar to the wide world," River rebuffed seriously. "Besides, girls like us need help sometimes. It's the least I could do." She stretched animalistically, transfixing Carna. "I... made a stupid decision to stay away from serious relationships with Exalted," she confessed with an awkward smile. "I’m at least a little lonely. I think it's time for me to _do_ something. And you're that something." _Excuse me?_ "Uh, sorry. That came out wrong-"

Carnation laughed, the genuine sound echoing softly in the valley. "I'm not sure I could sincerely deny you anyways. Good. I would get awfully lonely otherwise." She stretched, enjoying the feeling of her new dress hugging her body. "Should we cook dinner? I think I'm about to die of hunger." 

River licked her lips. "I… usually eat raw meat. It's been a while since I cooked." Carna smiled at her winningly.

"Well, we can do it together then. I'm sure you'll remember." River half-smirked and bowed towards the door.

"After you." Carnation rolled her eyes as exaggeratedly as she could with a smile. Enjoying the sensation of her bare feet against the grass, the sun on her back, and feeling hopeful about anything for the first time in months, she pulled open the door, stepping inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Molten Mane Flowing like the River through the Vale

_Calm down. Bond in your home. Cooking with you. Where's she going to sleep? Gods she smells so good. She keeps peeking glances at me._ River was positively overwhelmed by the events of the day, but she had always tried to maintain her veneer of handling everything without issue. _Everything is fine, right? Luna, I'm overdoing it. Why did I give her that dress she's so beautiful_ -

"River?" Carnation was looking at her with concern growing in her eyes. “Are you ok?”  
“Hm?” _Very smooth, River._ “What’s wrong?” Carna cast a critical eye at her now.

“You’ve been ignoring me for like, a minute. Do you not have spices anywhere here?” River sighed, both in response to the question and the accusation.

“Sorry, I’ve been through a lot today. Remember the ‘just raw meat’ thing? Usually you don’t season that either.” Carna frowned. 

“I’ve been through a lot too.” _And you fell in front of me like three times._ The shorter girl sighed, watching the pot stewing above River’s fireplace as though she could will the vegetables and stock to cook faster. For all River knew, she could. 

“I’m sorry, alright? I don’t normally have guests. Or ever.” Another sigh in response.

“No, you’re right. I’m not being a great guest. I doubt you really expected this today.” She turned around, her pouty lips and apologetic eyes immediately stifling any resentment River might have held. _God, her lashes are so pretty._ She gave a quick smile, then looked back towards the pot, a thick mix of chicken bones, carrots, and onions resting inside. “At the very least you had the vegetables. This is about as good as the food they had for the slaves at Stump. Well, even _they_ had salt.” River opened her voice to protest before she saw the mischievous smile on Carnation’s face, let out a sigh of relief, and rolled her eyes.

She turned away from the fireplace towards the rest of her humble home, leaning lightly against a cabinet in the kitchen. The warm glow of the fireplace illuminated her mostly-stark interior now that the sun had fallen. A variety of animal skins covered her bed in one corner, placed such that the rising moonlight would bathe her as she slept. More animal skins covered the stone floor, simply to keep her comfortable, although she had to admit the aesthetic made her keep them.

Primarily bookshelves lined the walls of her house, but a variety of cabinets, cupboards, and dressers struggled to find space. _An extended lifetime leads to an extended amount of junk_. The windowed side, facing east, was entirely bereft of furniture. The centerpiece of her cabin was a table of white cedar, enough for five people to generously sit around, set carefully in the geometric center of the floor. On its top was carved a rainbow inlay of spiraling flowers, from the center outward. River sighed, thinking of the work done for that table. 

“You can go back if you want, you know.” She said suddenly. _Please don’t._ “I imagine you had friends there?” Her voice was innocent, but the question was anything but. _Lovers, husband, wife - anything?_ Carnation pursed her lips.

"Go back?" She laughed bitterly. "I don't exactly have that many good memories there," - _gods I'm sorry I'm so bad at talking_ \- "and no, I wasn't particularly close to any of the other slaves. I was kept separate from them for the most part." Her expression softened upon seeing the anxiety in River's eyes. "I know you didn't mean it badly. I… don't know why, but I feel so safe with you. I really don't want to leave." She forced out each word, as though if she were carefully enough she could take it all back immediately without it ever having existed. 

_Should I tell her about the bond?_ River's mind was a whirlwind. _Would that make her upset? Scared? Resentful?_ She eked out her best smile in response. "I'm not sure I deserve your trust, but I'll try as hard as I can to live up to it." Carna half-rolled her eyes and scoffed at her stoic answer, but River was relieved to see a smile on her face.

"You're ridiculous. No, other than the arranged marriage I've not had many opportunities at romance. The sort of romance that they envisioned for me would only be torturous anyways." She looked curiously at River. "What about you?" _Opened myself up for this one, huh._

"Ah…" _Why do I feel so open to talking to her?_ "Well, I've had a few mates. More than a few, maybe." Carna's eyes widened. _Oh no she thinks I'm a whore._ "I.. have a reputation in the Pact for playing with girls' hearts. After my Shahan-ya and I had a falling out, at least. A decade or so ago." She stared intensely at something, anything on the floor so she didn't need to see Carna's no doubt judgemental look.

"Oh, huh." _She sounds completely unfazed - what?_ River's gaze shot up. "That's pretty hot. Molten Mane the Heartbreaker… you don't exactly seem the type!" she giggled to herself as she began ladling soup into a humble clay bowl, muttering something about thanking the gods River had utensils. _Ok. What._

"You don't find that... bad?" She ventured. _I must be tired. I'm never this careless._

Carnation shrugged. "Why would I? I lf I had had the opportunity I most likely would want to do the same. I'm just not as brave as you." The flushed girl winked at River, who was sure she was blushing in response as a bowl was handed to her. "Careful, hot." 

"Thank you," River mumbled. _Maybe I_ should _tell her about the bond. It's affecting me and I know about it. Surely it's affecting her. Doesn't she deserve to know?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Carnation, who was pouring pristine water from the pond into a cup at her table. She sat down on a thick shaggy bear pelt. "What's the Pact, anyways?" She asked as she blew onto her soup.

River brought her bowl over and sat down next to her at a comfortable distance. _Or is it uncomfortable? I want to be closer…_ "The Silver Pact is a, a...," she hesitated, "network of support for the Lunar exalted. We use it to keep in contact and help and ask for help from one another when we need it." She smiled as Carna began slurping soup from her bowl. "I meet the local Lunars fairly regularly, and sometimes host them here in my demesne. I think it's been around four or five moons since they were last here.. which means it's almost my turn."

"What's a demesne?" Carnation quickly followed up. 

"It's like a sort of claimed home. Not all Lunars have demesnes, but most do. Even the newest exalt can shape their territory with their essence, at least a little bit." Carna nodded sagely in response.

"That's why it's so beautiful and peaceful, right?" River nodded - "Does your shahan-ya come to the meetings?" - then almost spat her soup.

"No - she used to claim her demesne near here but she moved a long time ago. Five or ten years." Carna responded with a thoughtful 'hmmm' and went back to eating. _Nosy._

A silence fell upon the pair as Carnation finally stopped asking questions and River was lost in her own thoughts. Finally, Carna finished her soup and started staring at River's body.

"What, did I spill some?" River asked defensively. 

Carnation frowned. "No. I was looking at your tattoos." River sighed. _I need to calm down. Maybe some wine -_ her thoughts were interrupted by a finger poking her in the side. 

"Yes?" 

Carnation laughed to herself softly. "Sorry, I wanted to see if they felt magical. Do they mean anything?"

"The pattern itself? No. Each member of the Pact is trained to tattoo you with caste marks and formally induct you, so whoever discovers you as a new child of Luna can handle it. My shahan-ya did mine.” _I_ really _need to stop mentioning her_. 

“Caste marks?”

“The moonsilver used to ink the tattoos amplifies the natural power of the Lunars in certain directions. There’s one for each phase of the moon - full, for martial prowess, changing, for duplicity and using essence to influence social situations, and no moon for sorcery. Of course, it doesn’t restrict you - it just makes utilizing your essence to certain ends easier. It almost always aligns with the Lunar’s natural interests - and their spirit shape.”

“Which one are you?”  
“Full moon.” River pointed at the bow hanging next to the door. “I'm a good shot," she said modestly. "One of my shahan-ya’s other students made that after I helped her out with a political problem. She isn't very good at handling people, but she's an expert with wood and steel.” Carna, amused, raised her eyes at the double entendre with a giggle. River smiled. “She made that table, too. That one was as a visiting gift - she had an excuse to carry it here.. Taught me to fletch arrows properly, too.” 

“And that horned wolf - is that your spirit shape?” River nodded.

“That is not chosen. It’s intrinsically tied to your soul, or something like that. We can alter the appearance of our spirit shape somewhat, but the animal itself is fundamental. Of course, we can shapechange into any creature whose shape we acquire. Same for people.” _I’ll tell her about that one later._ River yawned. _Gods, it feels like time flies with her._

Carna yawned in response, sliding herself out from under the table. "So, I'll sleep on the floor then -"

"No." River said strictly as she rose.

"Come on, it'd be weird for me to steal your bed."

"No."

"What if we slept together and put pillows down the middle as a wall?"

"I only have two pillows, Carna. I'll sleep on the floor." 

"I don't see any reason why we couldn't sleep in the same bed. We'll have to get used to each other if we're going to be traveling together one day." _Perfect. Thank you, gods._

River sighed and responded like a petulant child. "Well.. if you insist. As long as you're sure it doesn't bother you." _Right, I'm terrible at acting._

"I should be the one saying that! I'm a surprise guest stealing your bed." Nevertheless, Carna began stripping in front of her Lunar bond without a second thought. "Oh, right. Do you have something I could sleep in?" _Am I already dreaming?_

"Yeah, of course." River kneeled at a chest at the foot of the bed and pulled out two overlarge undershirts she kept just for sleep, handing one over to Carna. 

"Thank you!" In a flash, the girl was undressed and redressed, her newly-treasured dress in a carefully folded square on the table. _I hardly got a blink of her…_

She nearly dove into the bed, and left her back to River - _Yeah, ok. Got it. -_ who quickly stripped out of her clothes as well, climbing in bed next to her. Between the two of them space wasn't plentiful, but there was enough to maintain a _comfortable_ distance.

A murmured 'good night' hardly reached River's thoughts before the darkness of sleep took her.


	4. Chapter 4

Carnation

_ Constriction. Like being tied up by Gyoji, by my parents, by the body I live in. A softly squeezing hand around my throat - _

Carna shot awake, adrenaline pounding through her as a soft warm arm pulled her back around her neck, and for an instant she was ready to kill - in the next, she felt dampness on the back of her neck - in the next, she remembered where she was, the faint light of the waning moon illuminating the cabin in front of her, tinged with the gold of the rising sun.

In the fourth, she realised. _River, not Gyoji._ The woman, no longer asleep, was clinging to her back and crying quietly. Carna shifted awkwardly.

 _She's like half-asleep, right?_ The brown-haired girl spun to look. As she did River pulled her hand back and snapped awake, bleary eyes gaining increasing clarity. She sighed, her eyes sheepishly fixing on Carnation's.

"Ah... I have nightmares pretty often. Sorry." She laughed to herself with a mixture of bitterness and embarrassment. "Did I hurt you?"

Carna shook her head, curls falling in front of her face. "No. You were trying to hold me from behind, I think. You just... got around my throat. It scared me." River looked more than a little uncomfortable.

"Sorry - I'll go sleep on the -"

Carna looked at her severely. "No." She softened and reached a soft hand across the bed _\- let me hold your hand let me hold your hand let me hold your hand_ \- and gave a soft squeeze when her prey was caught. "Would it help you to talk about your nightmares?"

"I don't know if - they're all just pretty morbid, Carna. I don't want to worry you - I'm fine." _Liar. And bad at it._ River's face betrayed her anxiety, but considering she had met her less than a day ago, Carna didn't push it.

"Fiiiiine." The Solar stretched, the morning sun perfectly timed to bath her in its glow. She glanced at River - who had _clearly_ been staring at her, but swung her gaze away at the last second - and let out a cry of pleasure.

"Hello? What was that?"

"I do that when I stretch. You don't?" Carna looked at her bedmate with a playfulness in her eyes.

"Ugh." River sat up, rubbing bleary eyes. "Are you always this bubbly?"

"Almost." Carna gave a winning smile. _Why, is it annoying?_

River sighed with obvious affection. _I guess she wasn't self aware enough to control that one._ "How?" 

"Hmmmmmm." Her tone rose and fell. "I suppose it's always felt like I needed to to deal with the situations I was in. If I was abused _and_ miserable, it would be twice as bad." She shrugged. "I'm just lucky I can control myself like that, I guess." 

Now fully basked in the light of the sun, Carna let out one last powerful yawn and smiled at River. "Breakfast?" The Lunar asked, although it was a statement, and she was already climbing out of bed.

"Leftover soup." Carna groused in response. "You don't have a stove!" 

River smirked. "I was going to go hunting for myself."

"Riverrrr, that's unfair!" 

"What if I brought it back? I could skin and roast it." Carna scowled.

"For _breakfast?"_

"Are you _really_ getting picky now?" River asked with a hint of exasperation.

"No, it's more that I'm coming up with excuses for you not to leave." _Perfect shot._ River nearly staggered, her beautiful face turning red.

" _Carna._ " 

The girl in question shrugged innocently. "So - leftover soup?"

River sighed, utterly defeated. " _Fine_."

"You know, we could go into Stump for supplies. Bread and cured meat, at least. Or at Cherak we could probably buy a stovetop and some pots and pans."

"Where do you think we'd find the money for that?" River asked as she began ladling soup into a bowl.

" _Ah._ " Carna took the bowl from her gratefully and sat down, beginning to eat.

"Anyways, it's not a good idea to go to Realm territory right now. Your banner's hidden now, at least, but you're going to need _some_ training before we travel." River followed Carna's lead, sitting with her bowl.

 _Bleh._ "I mean, that's fair. Will a Lunar be able to train a Solar?" River grimaced.

"I don't know." She admitted anxiously. "I'm going to try, I promise."

Comfortable silence settled on the pair. After eating, they both dressed themselves - _don't stare don't stare ok just a peek oh my god her body_ \- and stepped outside. 

Carna took deep breaths of the fresh air and relished the feeling of dewy grass rub against her ankles above her sandals. "My shahan-ya always suggested starting with meditation," River said, interrupting her thoughts. 

"Mm," Carna offered helpfully. Still, seeing River close her eyes and slow her breathing, she tried to follow suit. The glow of the sun behind her eyelids and the slight breeze that rustled her dress were the only sensations in her mind. She reached inside herself, searching for her essence, but was surprised by the ease with which she could already sense it. 

Carna began carefully moving through a cycle of standing poses she remembered from her lessons as a teenager. _I never thought I'd seriously be doing this._ Each step, each flick of her wrist, each breath in and out was suffused with her surging essence. It was exhilarating. Her eyes closed, the world around her melted away.

"Carnation?" River was looking at her with concern. “Are you there?”

"Sorry - what?" She said, suddenly fatigued. _What happened to my legs?_ She wobbled slightly before falling on her rear, blinking herself awake with an ‘ow.’

River failed to hide a smirk as her worried expression melted away. “What happened, Carna?" 

The brunette groaned. "I think I got too into my head. My essence was like a river, and everything around me a trickle.” River sighed with relief, pursing her lips.

“That’s not abnormal for the newly-Exalted. It can be hard to familiarize yourself with your essence.” She sighed. “Still, I can’t blame you for trying. The world feels so _new_ when you Exalt.”

"Sorry for worrying you." Carna sat up, groaning as her head throbbed. Another pang of guilt shot through her at River's concerned gaze. "I’ll be careful in the future, promise!" River huffed, amused, in response.

"I was going to work you through it a little, but I'm not sure-"

"I feel fine!" Carna volunteered immediately. _Only half-lying._ River smiled. 

"Fine. Let's move a little further into the woods so you don't ruin something here." She walked to the door of the cabin where she had rested a pillow-sized silk-wrapped package, and pointed her chin to indicate to Carna to follow.

They walked up the valley cliffs - at some points Carna thought they might have to climb, but River knew near-hidden paths that made the ascent easier than it should have been. At the top, an immediate canopy of thick trees surrounded the valley in every direction, and Carna truly appreciated how safe and secluded River's demesne was.

River set to unwrapping her package and carefully held out one of its contents to Carna: an expertly crafted curved steel knife, about six inches long, with a well-treated blue leather handle. _It's beautiful - I think._

"I've never really handled weaponry. When I was younger my parents forced me to take unarmed defense classes, but I never really took to it.."

River shrugged. "That's fine. This won't be advanced - this is just for worst-case self-defense." She pulled a leather strap from her package and held it out for Carna, who took it with a quizzical look. "Thigh sheath." She said with a wink. "Where do you think you'd hide it in that outfit?"

Carna grinned in response and tightened the strap around her thigh, carefully testing her ability to draw and sheath the knife without hurting herself. _Oh, this feels kind of sexy._

"It's easier than you'd think," River ventured, though she herself pulled it in and out of a slot in her boots. "Watch me - this sort of motion." With one hand on the handle and the second buttressing the dagger at the pommel. "You'll feel more shock than you expect when you hit someone, and you don't want to lose your grip. The hand on the end makes sure your strikes are more lethal." Carna nodded, trying her best to follow along.

"What if I have to fight someone else with a weapon?" 

"Don't. Or try not to with that at least. Most of this is going to be more for stabbing someone in an opening, not in a straight fight." River snorted. "We can try to get something better when we're traveling, but I don't have a lot of extra equipment here." 

"Understood." _See, I'm trying to take this seriously._

River half-smiled, amused. "Try it out on a tree. The thicker the better - less likely to hurt yourself." Carna nodded, approaching a thick oak near the two.

She took a deep breath, and in one fluid motion drew the dagger from its sheath and wound it back, pressing it with her hand into the trunk. She _felt_ the entire motion suffuse with essence, and she certainly felt the dagger _push_ into the tree, as though embedded by an elephant. An enormous cracking sound made her blink as she watched the tree split down the middle in line with her strike, then groan and shatter into chunks of wood littering the forest floor. _Sorry, tree._ As her senses came back to her, she became dimly aware of a soft golden glow about her body, similar to when she had first exalted but less bright.

She looked to River, who had her eyebrows raised. "Gods.. fucking Solars!" She spat, as though she was as surprised as Carnation was. "I'd always heard they were stronger, but it was just so hard to imagine. By Luna."

Carnation shook herself, sheathing the still-pristine dagger and looking back at the tree. "I felt it, though." She stated thoughtfully. "My essence infusing the entire motion. It's still incredibly.. invigorating and intoxicating."

"Gods, did you write books back home?" River said jokingly. "It feels that way for a while. The older Lunars call it essence fever. Your essence trying to control you as much as you it. Oh,” she continued helpfully, motioning to the sunny glow about Carna, “when you use your essence too strongly, your anima banner will show for a few hours. Just be careful using it recklessly around mortals.”

She took a deep breath and looked again at the tree, and back to Carnation. "Now," she said with a weak smile, "you've made me nervous about sparring."


	5. Chapter 5

Molten Mane Flowing like the River through the Vale

_She's going to kill me, in more ways than one._ River leaned against her cabin, allowing a respectful distance to her bond who was bathing in the mid-spring air, now that the hint of chill was gone from the wind. Already nearly a month had passed since the slave rebellion, and River had been giving her all to prepare Carnation for the wider world. 

_Maybe too much._ Bruises lined her arms where they had sparred. Carnation had apologized after each strike and promised to hold back the next, but she either didn't or couldn't. Not that River minded, but the soreness occupied her mind when she was trying not to think about Carna.

 _What chance is there a bright girl like that would like me back?_ _Bonds can just be friends, I think. Rivals. Whatever. It doesn't all have to be like the romances in stories the older Lunars tell. Does she even mind me seeing her naked anymore? We've been sleeping in the same bed forever. Gods, I'm pathetic. I don't deserve her anyways._

Stuck in her thoughts, River hardly noticed as a ghostly sparrow flew down towards her and rested on her roof, trilling loudly. Then, it coughed. Her head whipped up, and her look of surprise turned to one of annoyance.

The bird was surrounded by a wisp of smoke for a moment, and in its place was sitting a man. "Molten Mane Flowing like the River through the Vale," he stated in a well-spoken elegant voice, "as per the Near-North Pact Chapter agreement, you'll be hosting the nex-"

"No," she said flatly. "I'm busy."

"Can you not be so flippant for _once,"_ he protested. "Busy with what? You haven't done anything since Ash-" 

"Shut." She said through gritted teeth. After a deep sigh, she massaged her eyes. "Look in my pond."

"What, did you get another pet wind serpent?" The man turned himself to view the pond's inhabitant. "Oh, dearest Luna. How did 'The Reclusive Mane' find a _Solar?_ " _What a terrible nickname._

"First of all - stop staring. Second of all - it's a long story."

"Sounds like a great story to explain to your Pactmates," he shot back, grousing. _Was having allies_ that _worth it?_

" _Fine_ , Tirak. But not here. I'm going north soon. Let's meet at your manse.” He looked faux-shocked.

“ _I_ hosted _last_ time, if you recall? I take my responsibilities seriously.” The man sighed angrily. “Very well, but you owe me.” _Oh, he’ll remember this for one thousand years. Fucker._

“Understood. _I_ have a Solar girl leashed now, so I don’t think anything you throw at me should be too difficult.” _There’s nothing wrong with a little exaggeration, right?_

Tirak snorted in response, but she could tell he was impressed. “We’ll see. You’re bringing her, then?”

“Of course. The reason I’m leaving is for her.” He cocked his head, and she could tell he was desperate to know what a Solar would want. _Tirak would do anything for some juicy information._

“You’ve been such a difficult girl since she left, River. It’s _very_ charming. I’ll let the others know, then. In three days?” Her hackles raised at the mention of her shahan-ya, River spoke through gritted teeth.

“Fine.” With an elaborate bow, the man disappeared, and the sparrow took flight, darting off to the west. River breathed out, trying her best to de-stress herself.

“Riverrrr!” She heard Carna shouting for her from the other side of the building and darted the corner. She didn’t sound distressed, but River was always a worrier. The Solar was drying herself off with a cut of extra linen River had given her - or, more accurately, she had wrapped it around herself and was pointing excitedly at the sky.

“Did you see that?” She asked as River entered her field of vision. “A ghost sparrow! I didn’t even know animals could become ghosts.” River groaned.

“Oh, I saw him. That was one of my Lunar neighbors. We’re going to meet them at his manse, and we probably should get moving this afternoon.”

“Hmmm. Meeting more celestial exalts is pretty exciting, at least - although you don’t seem to be the biggest fan of him.” _Am I that obvious?_ “Are all your friends that bad?”

“He’s not my -” River exhaled with mock irritation. “No, not all. He’s not even _that_ bad. Just self-important.” Carnation looked up into the bright sky, pockets of wispy clouds trailing their way from west to east.

“How are we going to get there?” 

River grinned. “You’re going to ride me, of course.” 

River had been to Tirak’s manse dozens of times, and knew exactly the pace she could comfortably maintain and still make it in time. The forests of her home thinned and turned into the rolling lightly-conifered hills the northern peninsula was known for. River, fortunately, kept a travel pack and long-term rations of tack, jerky, and dried fruits for when she was forced to travel, so she wasn’t worried about her or Carna’s comfort. 

Auspiciously, the roads, muddy this time of the year, were only lightly traveled, and River had no problem avoiding travelers. While normally she wouldn’t have worried, the Lunar didn’t relish fighting while protecting her fledgling Solar against a lone Terrestrial, much less a Wyld Hunt. At night, a sleeping bag was unrolled for Carnation, who was not particularly ready for the rough living of the wilderness - River curled up at her side like a large doting dog, indulging in and afraid of the joy such simple contact with her bond gave her.

River tried her absolute best to stay resolute -  _ Gods, why does she grab my fur so intimately? She knows I can feel her plant her face into me, right? Why did I think this was a good idea? Feeling her legs wrapped around me is probably going to drive me crazy. _ \- with limited success. Despite her quiet suffering, the celestial pair safely and uneventfully arrived.

River began to slow her run to a trot as she noticed the formerly rolling hills grow rocky and steep and the plentiful fields of greens began to turn to tufts of grass eking out a living in stone. Lost in her thoughts, River only noticed her destination as she came upon it - an austere granite spire that looked as though it had somehow grown out of one of the foothills. Despite her repeated visits, the building defied recognition at distance.

An instantly recognisable cloudy sparrow darted down from some shale crag, landing in front of the two with an undeniable flair. Its shape grew deformed, as though it were mist being buffeted by wind, and in a blink in its place was a man. Clearly hailing from a cosmopolitan part of the Realm, his black beard was carefully trimmed so as to not look unkempt with a well-waxed moustache. He, like River, had silver tattoos stretching across his visible body, though his were more like a spider web crawling its way around him. A blood red silk robe, stitched with a variety of colourful chimerical creatures, fell down his body like a series of waterfalls running down a cliff face. With his severe features, he looked for all the world a Realm bureaucrat. 

“Greetings, my lady,” he intoned smoothly, clearly indicating he was speaking to Carnation, who was struggling to climb off River. The wolf in question nearly raised her hackles. _Cool it, ass._

“Oh, um - greetings.” Carnation said with a surprisingly well-practiced bow. “Would you do me the kindness of allowing me your name?” Tirak looked taken aback for a moment before returning to his businesslike smile. _Holy shit. Never seen that._

“I am Ragara Tirak, the Granite Feather.” Carna again bowed.

“I am Carnation.” She said simply.

“Come now, my lady, you can be honest with me. Surely a woman of your obvious station has more of a name than that.” His eyes narrowed slightly, betraying his suspicion. Carna looked slightly worried, and tilted her head towards River in a plea for help. _God, he is such a dick._ The wolf quickly turned shape into River’s true form.

“She goes by Carnation casually. Her full name is—" _please don’t hate me for making this up "_ — _Radiant_ Carnation.” Carna raised her eyebrows for a second, but again bowed to Tirak, though shallower this time.

“Apologies for my indiscretion, my lord.” She muttered apologetically. _This is_ my _Carnation? What happened to the clumsy slave?_ River did her best to hide her surprise, leveling an icy smile at Tirak.

His disbelieving eyes rested on Carna for a moment before he turned a smile colder than the glaciers of the north to River. “I must admit I’m more than a little surprised you actually came.” She shrugged. 

“I thought it would be helpful for Radiant Carnation to see what her _allies_ would be like.” The man’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he shrugged disarmingly with a laugh.

“Of course! I doubt the north has seen a Solar walk since Jochim - and even he didn’t venture this far West.” _Yes, bring up the one who died fighting for bloody revolution. Thank you, Tirak._ “But I forget myself. Please, enter. Rest. We will convene with the others ere the morrow.” He flicked a finger at his manse, one square of the smooth surface sliding away to reveal an entryway.

Carnation bowed more deeply this time, clearly impressed by the magic on display. “Thank you, my lord.” She spoke carefully, and walked inside. River, with a quick wave that was met with a frown, followed her.


	6. Chapter 6

Radiant Carnation

_Radiant? That’s how she sees me?_ The Solar played with the name in her head as she dressed. She remembered the night before as a blur of rooms and hallways as Tirak guided them through his labyrinthine tower. Contrary to its austere exterior, the furnishings inside felt like those of a Realm noble. She had slept in what felt like a bed fit for the Scarlet Empress herself, and in her own room, too, a fact that River had clearly been upset by. She had been woken by a mortal servant — a man with the head of a bird, dressed in well-made lamellar armor — and who was now waiting past a screen for her to finish dressing in preparation for the meeting today.

The room she had stayed in was solidly square, as had every room she had passed through yesterday. The rug within, too, were perfectly square, such that they fit the rooms immaculately, and the furniture again arranged in such a way that the eyes were drawn to its squareness - a chaise lounge paralleled the bed, which itself was corner to corner with a pair of dressers, with a table in the center. Mirrors were hung from two walls in a way that made the room feel eerily open, while the fourth wall, opposite a solid stone door, was occupied by a large window that, as far as she could tell, looked out near the makeshift courtyard she and River had entered in. Carnation could only assume the rooms had been geomantically defined and furnished, though she had no way of being sure. 

_Best behavior, right? Better behaviour than I’ve had to practice in a few years. Although a lot has changed since then._ She ruefully tied the dress tight around the nape of her neck, and quickly fixed her sandals around her legs. With a smile, the Solar stepped out from behind the screen as the politely-turned beastman faced towards her and bowed. 

“After me, my lady.” He took off at a brisk pace, leaving the woman to follow him through hallways, rooms, and intersections laid out as though a madman had designed them. Windows with a view into the foothills outside existed where they shouldn’t, and stairs that went up surely led the two to areas she had seen below them. After an indeterminate amount of time — it could have been two minutes or twenty — they turned to a pair of solid greystone doors, and the beastman bowed again and rapped an armored hand against the door. She had no idea how the sound would travel through the stone, but in seconds the doors began silently sliding open. 

If she had before slept in a room fit for one of the Empress' away palaces, this was undoubtedly a meeting room fit for Heaven. Immaculate tapestries of uncountable value covered all three walls other than the entrance, an explosion of color that felt off-putting after walking through solid grey hallways. The centerpiece of the room, and the only major furnishing other than some cabinets, was a hefty stone table, although it broke with the motif of the tower in that it was assuredly rectangular. A parade of animals in jade marched up and down the legs and around the surface, inlaid with exceptional skill. A glass jar was hung above the table, and gave off light as bright as that outside through unknown means - Carnation saw no fire burn within it, and could only assume it was sorcery or an older First Age artifact. 

At a table was sat River, looking morose and miserable in a figure-accentuating black dress with a plunging neckline cut to her navel, her normally wild hair up in a bun with makeup carefully done. Her head was rested in a black-nailed hand, although her expression lit up as she saw Carna standing in the doorway. To her right, at the head of a richly-decorated stone table that sprung from the floor, was Tirak, dressed as yesterday - to her left, a pale chestnut-haired woman who looked slightly older than River and Carnation. She was clothed in a more typical modest bear fur-trimmed dress of the north, wool dyed vibrant, bloody red that fell to the floor. She, like everyone at the table, had silver tattoos running across her visible body other than her face: hers looked to be a series of epics of tribes of the north, Carnation recognising longboats and other cultural trappings of the tribes there. Her eyes appeared blind, but she seemed to have no trouble fixing Carnation with a curious gaze.

In the seat across from her, a huge man - easily weighing three times as much as Carnation - was sitting in a chair that barely fit him. His body was brimming with muscles - and Carnation noticed, because he was bare-chested, an intricate story of a great beastslayer tattooed across his chest in faintly-shining moonsilver, somewhat obscured by a dense beard that fell nearly to his chest. He wore only a thick pelt of some foreign creature across his shoulders, the white fur accenting his tan body, and a roughly-made leather kilt with furred boots beneath. _Lunars are certainly an illustrious group._

There was a moment of awkward silence as she entered, as though a conversation had been interrupted, before the one to her left - the large one - cleared his throat with a cough. “Well?”

Carnation, taken by surprise, quickly fixed her posture and began a proper deep bow. “I am Radiant Carna-” 

“No, show us your fucking caste mark.” He spoke slowly like an irritated parent admonishing a child, and she looked helplessly at River who was staring daggers at the man. She gave a miniscule shrug. _That's not exactly interpetable._

With a thought, her mark burned itself out of the air, a perfect golden disc and irrefutable proof of her station. The reactions at the table were inscrutable, other than the woman, who smiled gently.

"Radiant Carnation, please. Sit. And you can put that away, thank you." Tirak, at the head of the table, gestured to the seat to his right, across from River. With a nervous sigh she did as bidded, quenching her banner and thoughtlessly pulling back on the stone chair. To her surprise, it slid along the floor weightlessly, and she had no issue seating herself properly at the table, as the chair adjusted its height to account for hers.

Tirak cleared his throat. "Now, introductions. Kycha?" The woman stood up and bowed in the manner of northerners, making her look slightly hicksy. She licked her lips. 

"I am Kycha the Hearthsfire." A slight accent tinged her unusually deep voice. "Formerly of the Haslanti League. And," she added with a grin, "probably the oldest Lunar here, now that our shahan-ya is on hiatus. I am, may I say, incredibly happy to meet you, Radiant Carnation." Carna smiled innocently in response. _Well, at least_ she _seems nice._

Tirak motioned now to the larger man, who practically radiated irritation with her presence. He grunted. Tirak gave him a pointed look, and the man sighed and shifted his bulk to turn towards Carna. His voice rumbled like an earthquake distorted through water.

"I am called Glacier Crushing Whale of the White Sea." His duty fulfilled, he turned back to the table. _Charming._ Tirak sighed, resting a hand on his forehead.

“Right. Excellent. Lunars are such excellent socialites, are they not, Lady Radiant Carnation?” 

“What do you _want_ , Tirak?” River seemed to have regained her energy with the arrival of Carna, and bangles on her wrist jingled as she ran her fingers across the table in a mixture of nerves and annoyance. _God, she looks so pretty. Why doesn’t she dress like this more?_

Carnation had no idea how Tirak wasn’t reaching the end of his rope, but he continued unfazed. “What do we talk about at every meeting, Molten Mane flowing like the River through the Vale? Sometimes it feels like there’s room for nothing in your thoughts but our shahan-ya.” She reddened angrily, but Carnation’s eyes on her cowed her immensely. _I want to know more about her._

“By the way, Carnation,” interjected Kycha hastily, “is that one of her dresses? It reminds me of the sorts of things she used to wear.” Pointing this out only made River redden more. _Oh, poor River. What indignities are being visited upon you._

Carna shifted in her seat, though the stone was strangely comfortable. “Um - I’m sorry if that offends anyone here.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Based on the … circumstances of my Exaltation, I didn’t have many clothes with me while I stayed with River.”

Kycha grinned. “No, darling - on the contrary, they look fantastic on you. I’m sure she’d be happy to see you in them.” Carna smiled anxiously in response, brushing hair out of her eyes.

“Could you… tell me more about your shahan-ya?” She ventured. River’s eyes were burning into her, but she knew she would never find out otherwise. Kycha lit up.

“Oh, honey! She really drew together disparate people, as you can tell. Really made her followers feel like a little family. She was very dedicated to us above all, you see. After a… disagreement with Riv a decade or so ago, she told us she was leaving for a while. Out of respect, we haven’t tried to hunt her down.” Carnation noticed an imperceptible look at that from Tirak.

“What was the disagreement?” Carnation figured she’d push her luck. Kycha looked to River nervously for tacit approval, whose face seemed to be semi-permanently half-grimacing and half-about to cry. An awkward silence reigned in the room before Tirak continued.

“Our mentor was never particularly interested in the lives of mortals. Only her Lunar brothers and sisters, and the utter ruination of the Realm. _Your_ mentor, however, is a bit of a _bleeding heart._ ” River looked as though she was about to cry. _Oh River I’m so so sorry. I was just curious_. “There was a fledgling rebellion in a satrapy east of here, and they knew, from Jochim’s failure, that the legions of Pneuma would annihilate them. They retreated to the west, to a pass between the Gaia’s Crown mountains and the White Sea. Molten Mane flowing like the River through the Vale caught their prayers and begged our shahan-ya to help them, but she refused to risk Lunar lives for mortal lives.” He glanced at River, who looked close to having a panic attack, and sighed.

“I’m not trying to torture her,” he continued apologetically. “To put it simply, River and our mentor had a heated argument, and Molten Mane flowing like the River through the Vale had some _choice_ words for her. Our shahan-ya apologized to us all, left in tears, and two weeks later, the rebellion was crushed, its fighters enslaved or killed to the man. She left immediately after,” he finished, his eyes resting sadly on River. 

“Thank you all for embarrassing me,” River said with an unsteady voice, staring straight at Carna. _Please don’t hate me._ “But how about we talk about the actual subject of these meetings?”

Tirak replied with a careful ‘mmm.’ After a moment, he said, “Very well. Apologies for informing Radiant Carnation, but I believe she deserves to know why our little family does not have a leader.” River exaggeratedly rolled her eyes, but she seemed to be calming down slightly. “In any case - the situation in the Realm is much the same. Legions withdrawn from border conflicts with other Lunars, precipitous satrapies being left to their own devices: at the very least, an ebb in the Realm’s imperial interests. There are whispers from the Imperial City that the Empress is fallen ill, or deposed. At the very least, the arms of the Realm grow slothful.” 

_The Scarlet Empress - gone?_ Carna’s mind raced at this information, although the other three guests seemed generally unsurprised. 

“Aye,” responded Glacier. “Less Realm privateers through the White Sea an’ out through the Western Ocean.” He grinned. “An’ what there is, don’t last long in my waters.” 

River nodded, muttering, “Before I got sidetracked a few months ago, I was staying low in Pneuma.” Kycha snorted, River blushed, and Carnation tilted her head questioningly. River gave a death glare to Kycha, who was trying not to laugh while she shrugged apologetically at Carna. “As I was saying, even in Pneuma the legions and the Immaculate Order are at each other’s throats. The houses are doing a poor job administrating in the Empress’ absence.”

Kycha tsked. “The Haslanti League is returning to normalcy after the defeat of the Bull of the North. ” She glanced at Carna. “I have not yet found his body, despite my best efforts. By all accounts, he was Solar, but I would have liked to confirm…” her voice trailed off. “I suppose that isn’t strictly necessary, at this point.”

Carnation noticed Tirak had been writing down all that had been said on a scroll of vellum. “What are you going to do with this information?”

He spent another half-minute continuing to write before he looked up, leveling his gaze at her. “Despite your apparent goodwill, I do not think it prudent to share particular details of the Pact’s working or politics to you. I’m sure Molten Mane flowing like the River through the Vale warned you that not all here are excited about the apparent return of the Solar Exalted.” 

“And yet you had no issue with me being privy to it?”

“Although obstinate, she is generally a good judge of character when she’s thinking with the right head.” River rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you hold no love for the Realm, so I see no problem with you being informed of goings-on in the world - but the doings of the Pact are another story.” _I’m not too proud to admit that that makes sense._

“River,” he stated authoritatively, and the woman in question swung her head morosely towards him. “Firstly, calm down.” _Something tells me that won’t work._ “Secondly, what are you and your new Solar traveling for? I think t’would be prudent to -”

“No,” River interrupted. “No showing her off to the Pact. Your word should be good enough.” She hesitated, then continued. “I discovered that her Exaltation was different than ours. No visit from the Sun, though she heard his voice, but most importantly: her form did not change.” Recognition grew on the others’ faces as she smiled guiltily. “You know me. I couldn’t leave a girl like me to do it alone. The one place I thought she could use her essence to shape herself was near the Wyld -”

Tirak slammed his fist on the table, and even Whale looked concerned. “ _Absolutely_ not. Are you insane? You’re going to walk one of the first Lawgivers we’ve found into the Wyld? Hand her over to the fucking Raksha, before she’s even learned her own power?” 

“Not t’ mention getting past the cannibals,” Whale rumbled. Tirak was warmed up.

“If you are going to tell me the _genitalia_ on a _crossdresser_ matters, then you’re …” He realised the mood of the room had changed immediately. Kycha looked at him with warning eyes and Whale seemed still as a statue, eyes straight ahead.

“If only our shahan-ya were here to hear you say that.” River said, icy cold. Tirak gulped. “I don’t know if any more needs to be said here -”

“Wait.” Tirak’s strangled voice rang out as River prepared to stand up. “Wait. I apologize for my indiscretion.” River stared at him. _I’m surprised he isn’t bursting into flames or choking to death right now or something._ “There is a better spot for changing flesh than the edge of the world. It’s dangerous, but at the very least you’ll avoid the worst of the Wyld and the elements.” 

“I’m listening.”

He took a deep breath. “Last I spoke to Wutze the Scale - remember him from that Pact festival a few years back? - he had just come around the Cape after swimming with schools in Cherak’s port for a good few months. To get to the point,” he rushed, feeling River’s cold glare, “he said he had felt the Wyld strongly in a small cove up the Cheraki peninsula, where the water grows thick with salt. He dared not approach closer, but surely _you_ could make use of a temporary intersection between Creation and the Wyld to enact whatever sorceries you had in mind.” Tirak spoke quicker and quicker, as though if he couldn’t rush out an alternative River and Carnation would be dead by the Fair Folk in seconds.

“Fine.” River said curtly. “But if you’re lying, I’ll come back and tear this tower down.” Tirak, relieved, let loose a sigh. “Carna - come.” _Dog time, huh?_

“I pray you all will forgive my leave,” the woman in question stated with a bow, after standing. Tirak, still looking slightly overwhelmed, just nodded, and to no one’s surprise Whale did not respond at all. River shot a look at Kycha, who smiled softly in response, and took Carnation’s hand at the foot of the table. Her heels clacked against the stone floor as she stomped out through sliding granite doors.


	7. Chapter 7

Molten Mane Flowing like the River through the Vale

River tried her best to breathe in the fresh mountain air and calm herself, immensely aware of Carnation standing uncomfortably next to her. After her rather dramatic exit, she had rather less-dramatically required the help of Tirak’s beastmen guards to gather their belongings and guide them to the exit. The silent walk through the still air of the manse allowed her to quiet her tempestuous emotions. _Ok, so. How do I talk to her. She’s scared, right?_

“I’m sorry,” Carnation interrupted her thoughts meekly. “I just knew you wouldn’t tell me.” A hint of defiance entered her voice. River sighed with exasperation. _Calm, calm calm calm._

“There’s a reason I wouldn’t.” She said with a sigh. “It’s fine. Tirak is an _asshole_ , but he’s right that you deserve to know the state of our fight against the Realm here - and why our shahan-ya is gone. Besides, him insulting you just pissed me off at something else.” Carna did her best to hide an amused smile.

“So, are we going to travel overland, straight to Cherak?”  
River shook her head. “No, we’re going to pick up some equipment first. You’re not prepared for anything beyond fighting a loaf of bread.” Carna glanced at her dismayed.

“Yes, that was _my_ idea. Then I was told we had no silver or cash.”

“We _will_ , though.” Carna just shot an exasperated look at River. _Trust me._ “We’re just going to follow the roads northeast, towards the northern edge of the Gaia’s Claws. Less than a day, I promise. We’re meeting someone at a roadside inn.” 

Carna groaned, methodically securing their travel pack to her back. “Am I going to have to ride you all the way there?”

River grinned. 

She rode as fast as possible, ever-aware of Carnation’s thighs digging into her flanks. _Anything to keep her from having to sleep on the cold ground, at least for one more night._ River felt her mood improve as they escaped the highlands terrain, the grey stone that reminded her so much of Tirak yielding to tough wild grass. 

Her mind blanked during the ride, and she felt her consciousness drift close to that of a wolf, pulled back by a tug on her fur from Carna. It wouldn’t be the first time she lost herself as an animal for a few weeks before coming to her senses. _Gods, but I would kill myself if I abandoned her._ She ran parallel to the road, but saw only one trader - a sad single cart with a short blade sitting at his feet. If he even saw her, she assumed he could only assume he had been passed by a wolf or wilderness god.

She began recognizing landmarks - a decades old split tree, a rock shaped like an axe - and slowed her pace to a comfortable trot. River quietly thanked Luna for aiding her speed as the sun rolled into the horizon. _Had I not made it this far, it would have been much harder to find it in the dark._ Carna raised her head from the soft reddish fur. “Are we there?”  
“Almost,” River responded. “It’s not the nicest place, but it’ll do. And I’ve met my friend here quite a few times. We’ll probably see her tomorrow morning, with breakfast.” Carnation nodded, clearly tired. River resolved to push forward and get her in a bed as soon as possible.

A few minutes later, she came to a stop and bowed forward as the already-sparse trees thinned. Carnation hopped off of her and, almost losing her balance, was grabbed an instant later, River wrapping very-human fingers around her upper arm. She underestimated the weight of her partner and in the process of pulling her back upright instead pulled her into her chest. _Oh gods I’m so sorry -_

“Mmm.” Carnation leaned into her readily, pressing her cheek against River’s chest. The Lunar immediately reddened, her mind a frenzy. _Do I gently pull her off, or let her stay? Which one is more respectful oh gods_

Her dilemma was resolved by Carnation, redder than she’d ever seen, who unsteadily removed herself from River’s personal space. She muttered something that River couldn’t hear, and decided not to push. “C’mon, Carna,” River said gently, as though trying to convince a wild animal to eat from her hand. “I’ll get you there.”. _I could take the pack from her, but I think at this point it would be a bigger waste of time than finishing the walk._

The soft light of a lantern burned up the hill they stood at the foot of, a mere few hundred feet of walking. Carna seemed capable, just not entirely aware of what was happening. _This reminds me a bit too closely of walking drunk girls home._ _Not comfortable with the connotations of that_. 

Scant few minutes later, the inn was in front of them: a surprisingly well-maintained wooden structure built like the longhouses of the Haslanti League. An inviting light shone from a myriad of windows across the side facing the road, though only a few wagons and carts were stopped in front. River had a half a mind to check the stables, but with her current charge she decided against it. An opportune hand wrapped around Carna’s waist to steady her, and River felt as though she would lose control just from the touch.

She braced herself and stepped up to a thick wooden door carved with imagery of men using swords and firewands to slay horned Fair Folk, and rapped a knuckle against it. Nothing. _Ok, fine._ She gave a good, solid kick to the door, scuffed at its base from such behaviour over the years. A half-minute later, she finally heard bolts sliding, and an older brunette woman dressed in furs with a short sword at her waist inched open the door. Her face betrayed her hard life, suspicion etched on her features.

“River?” She asked in a gravelly voice. “Different girl, huh.” The judgement in her eyes was obvious. _Oh, come on._ Carnation looked at her with pursed lips, but said nothing.

“It’s not _like_ that, Mari. The other one will be here tomorrow anyways. Just one night - you know I’m more than good for it.” The innkeeper rolled her eyes before pulling the door open, glaring on judgmentally at River’s intimate grasp of her Solar companion. “Oh, please. I’ve cowed more tax collectors than you can remember, surely I’m owed a pleasant visit.” Mari huffed but left the two alone, walking back to tend the fire and stew near the entrance end of the building.

A half-dozen tired peasants sat at well-crafted wooden tables, though the inn was sparsely decorated otherwise. She did her best to ignore the looks the odd pair was getting - _I really should have changed out of this fucking outfit Tirak insisted for me -_ though she had half a mind to punch one man with a wandering eye out the window. Furs and animal heads were mounted periodically throughout the hall, and at one end, nearer the entrance, a sizable fireplace built around a black iron cauldron. River scarcely had time to ensure there were no threats in the building before she was off to one of the rooms at the other end, her Solar held tightly to her.

She felt heat rise in her body. _Surely just because the longhouse is so warm._

“I’m fine, dear.” Carnation’s voice cut through her roaring thoughts. _Dear?_ “Thank you, though,” she added in a murmur. River drew a deep breath of the woody longhouse air in and moved into one of the few bedrooms, a cheap mattress in a wooden bedframe being the only thing in the sparse room. Carnation slipped her pack off and collapsed onto the bed - _big surprise there_ \- and with a gentle shake, River confirmed she was very, very asleep. She set her own pack down, carefully rearranging Carna’s next to it. She bolted the door shut as quietly as she could, then began undressing, setting her dress and heeled sandals in a neat folded pile at the foot of the bed. 

With a nervous look, she climbed into the bed, trying her best to politely avoid the woman who had fallen into it as though she were trying her hardest to deny River a comfortable amount of space to sleep. _I am being tortured by someone high in Heaven, for sure._ After ten or so minutes of wriggling, she finally gave up, rolling her Solar over - who responded with a muttered ‘huh’ - and with a reasonable amount of space, fell asleep shortly thereafter.

River cursed herself the next morning. Not only had she overslept, she had slept past Carnation - who wasn’t in bed when she woke up. _She just got bored, right?_ With a thought, her moonsilver tattoos faded into her skin. Her anxiety surged, but she did her best to keep a damper on it, dressing rapidly in her travel clothes - her high boots, leather pants, and halter top, with her hair in a ponytail - and leaving the inn room.

To her immediate relief, Carnation was seated at a table animatedly talking to someone close to their room - _ah._ River put on her best saunter as she walked over. “Good morning, you two.”

The woman opposite Carnation, dressed still in her Haslanti-style attire but no longer sporting moonsilver tattoos, turned blind eyes and a sunny smile towards River. “Riv! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you sleep in like that.” The red-haired woman light-heartedly rolled her eyes.

“Kycha, I’m not sure I’ve ever let you drive me as ragged as this girl does,” she responded with a snort.

“Mmhmm,” the woman responded with a mischievous smile, “but that’s because you never wanted to fu-” 

“What happened after we left?” River interjected in a panic, but to her relief it seemed as though Carna had been distracted by two men in colourful kimonos who had just entered the inn. Kycha shrugged. 

“Not much. I’ve never seen Tirak that flustered, and even Whale seemed to feel a bit bad. He asked us for some details of troop movements and ushered us out, so I flew over here pretty quickly.” She took a sip of an herbal tea that she sat in front of her. _Heh. Sad I couldn’t see him squirm more._ “You know, I’m surprised you could make it here so quickly overland, especially with a rider.” She raised her eyebrows. _Yeah, yeah, rub it in._

“Actually, now that you mention it, Carna has surprisingly good riding technique. Did your parents own horses?” River looked to Carna, who still seemed distracted. “Carnation?”

“Huh?” The girl turned back to their conversation with a start. “Oh! Oh, sorry. I zoned out.” _Nothing new there._ “Mmm. I rode a little bit, but it had to be outside of the city, so not as often as I’d liked. My family was friendly with some distant relatives who farmed on the outskirts, so I rode their horse sometimes.” _Hmm. A poor peasant family with a horse?_

“Well, you’ve certainly got a multitalented one this time.” River rolled her eyes at Kycha’s interjection. 

“We’ll see about that.” She responded teasingly. “She hasn’t really had the opportunity to shine, but I’m sure she’s champing at the bit. Speaking of, do you have what I asked for?” Kycha nodded, leaning over and picking up a long cotton-wrapped bundle from the floor next to her.

“You betcha,” she responded happily as she began unwrapping her package. “You’re like my little sister, Riv. I can’t say no to you.” Carnation looked on curiously, but drew her breath when she saw the gifts within. The first: a shallowly curved katana, about two and a half feet long, sheathed in a scabbard decorated with sun rays emanating from the tip stretching to the leather-wrapped hilt, where an artistic rendition of Creation had been painted on the end. The other gift, less decorated but no less well-made, was a solid wooden lance, a conical steel point at the end with two points to attach a leather strap so the user could walk or ride with it on her back. Kycha grinned at Carnation.

“Your girlfriend” - _oh my god Ky I’m going to throttle you -_ “thought you were a bit underprepared for traveling, so she asked me to bring a few extras like that dagger you’ve got. Pfft, yeah right. I _had_ to at least make something in honor of your existence.” Carnation glanced at River with a smile hiding a laugh.

“Ha, ha.” River said dryly. “I certainly didn’t expect something _this_ nice, Ky. I just wanted her to be able to defend herself.” Carnation nodded rapidly.

“Kycha, I don’t know how to thank you for this. I’m a bit speechless.” The woman winked.

“Don’t worry about it - I’m sure you’ll feel like you’ll owe me when I _really_ need you.” Carnation tilted her head assentingly, again distracted by the pair of men who had entered a few minutes before. Both of them were walking over to the trio, and even Carna could see in their stances that they were on edge.

Kycha, whose back was to them, narrowed her eyes and swept the cloth over her work. “You three. We have a few questions,” one said. They both were clean-shaven - the one who spoke had his hair in a long high ponytail, and the other had clearly recently shaved his head. Their kimonos, a blend of colour in the distance, clearly portrayed dragons dancing to and fro. _Not a good sign._ Both had blades strapped to belts around their waist. _Yeah, even worse._ River sized them up as Imperial goons, but they didn’t seem legion, and fortunately didn’t seem Dragon-blooded.

“We don’t have any answers,” River responded dismissively. “You’re going to harass three travelers in the backwoods?” She looked for Mari, but the woman was watching passively. _Yeah, save your skin. Fine._ Carna seemed petrified, and River tapped her under the table with her boots. Her eyes shot to River and she smiled weakly.

“We’re under _Dynast_ authority,” he responded coldly. “You stand out about as much as three Fair Folk sitting here." He added with a warning tone. "We will detain anyone who won't help us."

“What House?” Carna demanded softly.

“It doesn't matter.” 

“Ask away, then. We all serve the Imperial Government,” River said with a shallow smile. The man pulled a scroll from an interior pocket on his kimono, rolling out an illustration of a dark brown-bearded man with short-cut hair and matching eyes.

“He was abducted from his family estate a couple of years ago, and his parents miss him terribly. If you have any information that could serve to find him -”

"What sort of child of earth could get abducted?" River asked with a snort.

"He was mortal," the man responded curtly.

"And why are you still looking years later?" She returned curiously.

"A few merchants west of the Gaia's Crown reported seeing someone who looked similar in the past year." _A year ago? And they're_ still _looking?_

"Hmmm. No, I live around here and don't recall seeing anyone like that," River said seriously. Motioning at Kycha, she added, "she's not from around here, she's just visiting me. The man grimaced, but didn't look terribly surprised. Carnation cleared her throat.

“There’s a slave camp southeast of here - well, former slave camp. They were freed by a forest Goddess. _We_ were freed by a forest goddess,” The man’s eyes snapped to Carna, but she continued unabated. “He was one of the slaves there. I didn’t know him very well, but I’m sorry to say he passed in a slave rebellion.”

The man’s gaze turned to one of eagerness. “That’s fine - we’ll be paid for a body as well.” _Repulsive._ “Where is this town?”

“It’s called Stump,” Carnation responded. “If you go a bit further south and east any people you run into should know of it. He might be buried there, if he wasn’t burned. I’m not sure of the customs here.”

“Buried,” River shot in.

“Thank you, ma’am, truly.” The man said with a bow, turning on his heel and following in his perpetually bored partner’s footsteps. River waited until they were out the door, then turned to Carnation curiously.

“Was that true?” The Solar shrugged.

“Yes. I recognised him.” She said simply. 

“Hmm. Well, in any case - Ky. Thank you so much for these. I’ll make sure Carnation repays you.” The Haslanti woman nodded with a laugh. “Are you going back north after this?

“Probably not. I have a workshop at the Northern Pass. I’m planning to just go back there to teach myself more - and probably pick up a few neat rumors,” she added with a wink.

“Do you only make weapons?” Carnation asked curiously. Kycha smirked in response.

“Have you seen the table in River’s little hut? Or her doors, for that matter? No, but that’s what people need most of the time, unfortunately. Before I found Luna’s embrace, I was in an honoured position in my tribe making the iron and wood figureheads of our longboats. Essence fever seized me quickly after Luna raised me, and I left - I couldn’t stay there once I realised I had the potential to become one of the greatest craftswomen Creation had known. Our shahan-ya found me clumsily trying to sell my wares outside Cherak, and she took me under her wing. Under her, I learned much - even if she herself wasn’t a skilled crafter, she’s an excellent warrior. She would always tell me how I could improve my next weapon. And when she got her hands on some moonsilver, _I_ was the one she trusted to work it.” She smiled awkwardly after realising how much she had talked about herself. “So,” she added, “if you ever need help with any handiwork, get in touch with Auntie Ky. Riv knows how to get my attention.”

Carnation looked to River questioningly. “Our shahan-ya taught us all her trick for communicating at distance - talking to birds,” she explained. “It works surprisingly well. That’s how I asked her to bring these to the meeting.”

“Are you coming to the pass with me, then?” River looked at her for a second, then sighed.

“No, I’d like to go the southern route.” Kycha’s eyes widened.

“Through the mountains?” 

“It’s the easiest way to avoid too much attention, and it’s faster, anyways. We can resupply in Sunpeak and make it to Pneuma in no time, then continue to Cherak.” Kycha responded ‘mmm’ with pursed lips.

“Just be safe, alright? I’d never forgive you if my cute new little sister got hurt.” River laughed. _She’s mine, though._

“We’ll be fine! I’ve traveled that way plenty of times.”

“Yes,” Kycha responded pointedly, “as a wolf. With decades of experience under your belt.” River’s attitude deflated slightly.

“I’ll give you word when we reach Sunpeak _and_ Pneuma, alright? I don’t want you worrying over us too much.” Kycha jokingly rolled her eyes with a grin as she stood up, hefting a much-lightened pack over her shoulder. 

“Hopefully I’ll see you both again sooner rather than later. It’s been a pleasure to talk to you, Carnation.”

“Same to you!” Carna responded energetically, as she and River stood up as well. River shot a glare at Mari as they left, and received one in return. She sighed.

“Probably not staying here any time soon. Kind of a pain - it’s the closest inn to Tirak’s demesne.” Kycha giggled, and after they shut the door behind them opened her arms. River ducked in for a tight hug, and Kycha set her sights on Carna. 

“You too, dear.” The Solar gingerly hugged her new friend with a gentle squeeze. With a quick look to make sure they were alone, the Haslanti woman stepped away and molded her form into that of a barn owl, as though she were rapidly hammered on an anvil into her new shape. After a quick wave with her wing, the bird swept into flight, heading north.

“That bird thing seems pretty useful,” Carnation said. River scoffed.

“You think I can’t do that too? I just like the wolf. Besides, you can’t ride me as an eagle.” Carnation looking at her thoughtfully.

“Hmm. Do you just know forms to shapeshift into?” River raised her eyebrows and looked away nervously.

“Not… exactly. It’s a bit macabre. Or it can be, at least. Some Lunars learn different ways, but normally we indulge in the Sacred Hunt, which involves, um..” she hesitated, then spoke rapidly, as though forcing it out would make it sound less bad. “Killing and drinking the heart’s blood of whatever form we wish to gain.” Carna looked at her with raised eyebrows. “It’s a bit hard to understand if you haven’t felt the protean pull of the Lunar essence, but every Lunar definitely has that side. Our essence drives a rage, protective and destructive - or at least it has since the usurpation, according to my shahan-ya.” _God I’m so embarrassing._

“That makes sense,” Carnation said simply. _It does?_ “The Children of Luna being more bestial, I mean. I think it’s pretty compelling.” _What does that_ mean _?_

“Well. I didn’t expect you to be so accepting.” Carnation smiled sunnily.

“Oh, Riv. I always feel comfortable with you, no matter what.” River’s heart stopped. _How does she just_ say _shit like this?_

“Anyways,” she said huffily, trying to cover up how flustered she was, “we should get moving. Are those weapons secured well?”

“I think so.” Before she even finished her sentence, a horned wolf was standing in front of her. With a smile, Carnation hopped on her back and they were off, a brass bullet speeding southeast.


End file.
